Assuaredly - Meadow Men Leave Foley With Meir Consolation...

And so to Crown Meadow on Innage Lane in Bridgnorth for a North West Counties Division One South curtain raiser between AFC Bridgnorth and Foley Meir FC.

Bridgnorth Town existed in the 19th century playing in the Shropshire & District League in 1899. A new club was formed in 1938 joining the Worcestershire Combination for one season only. 

The team was refounded again in 1968 and the Meadow Men won the Midland Combination in 1980 and again in 1983. Town was promoted to the Southern League Midland in 1983 but folded due to financial problems in 2013. 

A fourth iteration in the form of new club AFC Bridgnorth was established in the same year and the club badge depicts the iconic Town Hall. West Midlands Division One champions in their first season, moving to the Premier, then on to the Midland League in 2021 - finishing 10th last time and laterally moving to the NWCFL One South this season.

The visitors hail from the McIntosh Arena, or Trentham Foods Stadium, on Whitcombe Road in Meir, Stoke on Trent. 

Foley Football Club was founded in 1947 by a group of friends and ex-servicemen from the now forgotten Foley district of East Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

A replica of Arsenal's strip was purchased from the late Les Evans, later club president, who had a shop in King Street, Longton and the club, based next to the Foley Arms, playing at 'The Open Holes', joined Longton League Division 2. Foley moved to their current ground on Whitcombe Road in Meir in 1982.

In 1996 the club joined Midland League Division Two, winning the league at the first attempt. In 2005, following the Midland League's merger with the Staffordshire County League, the club became a founder member of the Staffordshire County Senior League. 

The Foley changed name to Foley Meir - the former Midland Combination Meir KA (Kings Arms) becoming defunct in 2010. The team won the championship in 2020/21, and placed 4th the season after, earning promotion to the North West Counties Football League Division One South. Immediate relegation followed but Meir rejoined the North West Counties in third position in 2024 and finished 11th last time.

Numberplates today are C1UFC - the official Carlisle United team bus - and AG61 USA, plus a van emblazoned with Franking Sense. We then pass J3NGR graffiti on the M6 before heading to Stoke on Trent... and oatcakes 😊

A detour follows via Monkey Jungle and Ashtag Barbers in Stone. Then over the River Sow and past Buttercups and Daisies in Eccleshall and through Chetwynd Aston and Woodcote.

Over the River Severn brings us to Bridgnorth. The town is home to the Severn Valley Railway (with the Railwayman's Arms), the Cliff Railway, Lavington's Hole and Bridgnorth Castle & Gardens.

£7 in and North are in blue with white trim, Foley Meir in change yellow and grey. Curiously some away shirts display a poppy, and others don't... The crowd today is 135 with limited away support.

Inside, past the bar and changing rooms, is the Sameday Freight Stand, a covered terrace complete with a pair of stocks. The main seated stand abuts Crown Meadow Park and Playing Fields - the other two sides are walkways with benches with residential housing behind.

    

On another hot, sunny day the match commences on a parched pitch. The first half is epitomised by a Pug escaping its owner and doing its business on the touchline - fortunately its owner cleans up 🙄

And there's a strange minute's silence - surely not for Franco Baresi 🤔 But there are a glut of chances for the Meadow Men just before the hydration break - Kobi Love and Sam Preece forcing good saves from away custodian Monty Parkes and Craig Tuckey shooting just wide.

The sole Foley effort is a swerving shot narrowly beyond the goal on 34 minutes by captain Harry Livingston. Five minutes on North's number 9 Suar Dedja heads wastefully over from a free kick.

But the deadlock is broken bang on half time. A messy corner sees the ball in the net, Preece claiming the credit but to the rest of us it looks like a Parkes' own goal; Bridgo lead 1-0 at the break.

The second period starts quietly but on 59 Meir substitute Archie Ellams turns and fires in an equaliser, the ball squirming through home keeper Craig Pain's hands. Dedja misses badly for the Meadow Men ten minutes later.

And so when we are all expecting an undeserved draw for Foley, matters change with six minutes left. North's left back De Quarnai Williams hits a beautiful curling shot that smacks the frame of the goal and Dedja is deadly with the rebound.

Sixty seconds on Love sees Parkes save and again Dedja poaches the rebound. And there we have it, despite 8 minutes of stoppage time, as Bridgnorth triumph 3-1.

Foley's Night Meir - Red Card and Visitors Ville-ins Of The Piece.... !

And so to the McIntosh Arena on Whitcombe Road in Meir, Stoke on Trent, for Foley Meir's first ever North West Counties Division One South home league game against Ashville FC.

Foley Football Club was founded in 1947 by a group of friends and ex-servicemen from the now forgotten Foley district of East Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

A replica of Arsenal's strip was purchased from the late Les Evans, later club president, who had a shop in King Street, Longton and the club, based next to the Foley Arms, playing at 'The Open Holes', joined Longton League Division 2. Foley moved to their current ground on Whitcombe Road in Meir in 1982.

In 1996 the club joined Midland League Division Two, winning the league at the first attempt. In 2005, following the Midland League's merger with the Staffordshire County League, the club became a founder member of the Staffordshire County Senior League. 

The Foley changed name to Foley Meir - the former Midland Combination Meir KA (Kings Arms) becoming defunct in 2010. The team won the championship in 2020/21, and placed fourth last season, earning promotion to the North West Counties Football League Division One South. Three away fixtures have produced an opening day 2-1 victory at Cheadle Heath Nomads, a 7-1 drubbing in the local derby with Abbey Hulton and a 3-1 defeat to Sandbach.

Ashville FC was founded in 1949 by D-Day veteran John Dennett and his wife Joyce at 25 Ashville Road, Wallasey, initially entering the Wallasey Youth League and then joining the Bebington League in 1951. After winning the Bebington League, Ashville moved to the Wirral Combination, winning the league in all three seasons they competed in it.

In 1955 'Ville was voted into the West Cheshire League, winning Division Two in their inaugural season and after promotion to Division One relocated from Wallacre Park to Villa Park on Cross Lane in 1962. Champions in 1968 and 2012, with a couple of relegations en route, quickly rectified, the club finished runners up last term and was admitted to the North West Counties Division One South for the new campaign.

After the 4-0 home rout of Abbey Hey witnessed on the opening day, two away draws and a 5-2 home massacre of Barnton, 'Ville lost 2-1 at home to Maine Road last weekend.

Beyond Perfect Shutters and then The Vegetarian Society - appropriately registration plate V3DJY appearing opposite - and another glorious colourful floral  display at Denzell Gardens. A car displaying the Cornwall flag, more registration plates 1 LET and SIILYS, and a dogwalking business Tours 4Paws leads me to the M6. Motorway graffiti from The Pies has now been replaced by Mass Formation Psychosis...

Past lorry skirts advertising Blue Lagoon Spas, Orange County CBD and 'Are You Pregnant ?', it's off at Junction 16 onto the A500, eschewing the Bet365 stadium, and through Talke, past the Pepper Mill, Olympus Engineering, Diamond Freight and the Tam O'Shanter Inn. Then the A50 brings me to Meir and left onto the A520, Dougie Mac's, Chilli Jacks, a quirky corner shop, signs for Foxfield Steam Railway and roadworks just before Whitcombe Road.

The ground is on a private road, the pitch chiselled out of a hollow in a gorgeous setting, tree lined, with views of the Dresden suburb in the distance. There is ample parking for a crowd of 63, with at least 20 from the Wirral. £5 in, which includes a programme - shame about the date.....

The near side hosts a bar, cafe and the changing rooms whilst the bijou stand has been extended from a 24 seater to a Heinz - 57 seats. Steeply banked sides mean the top end and opposite are cordoned off - despite a cameo dreadful performance behind the goal by an Ashville pensioner....

Unlike FC St Helens, where the floodlights were a work in progress (2 up, 4 with bases installed), there is no evidence of lighting work in the ground. Which makes the derby with Stafford Town on Tuesday 4 October at 8pm rather optimistic.....

A lush pitch, glorious sunshine, which clouds over, sees Foley in red and black with yellow trim, Ashville in grey and black quarters, white backs and red shorts and socks. A young, lean referee is assisted by two very rotund linesmen.....

Seven minutes in the ball is cut back for Ashville's Liam Davies to smash into the top corner and the visitors lead. Thereafter the Foley are wasteful with Saki Ahmadi shooting well over twice, Mark Grice forcing a tremendous save from 'Ville's Michael Dixon, when he should have scored, and Dan Counter getting his header all wrong from a corner.

On the counter Ashville conjure up a glorious opportunity on 34 minutes - Sam Hunt's chip over the keeper leaves the ball on a plate for Tommy Johnstone to double the advantage, and the away side lead 2-0 at the break.

The second period is largely coma inducing - the Foley lacking urgency, invention and accuracy, and 'Ville content to sit on their two goal lead. It's game over on 69 minutes when Meir's Sam di Marco is shown a straight red for a professional foul just outside the box.

Matters are wrapped up six minutes before the end, when with both sides screaming for a free kick, a long ball is played through for Johnstone to square and sub Ben Greenop makes it three and that's how it finishes.